Legend Rock Petroglyphs LbNA # 57703

This letterbox is located at the Legend Rock State Historic Site north of Thermopolis, WY. The site is 28 miles from Thermopolis - 26 miles of paved road and another 2 miles of gravel. So, about a half an hour's drive. The site is gated and locked to prevent vandalism so you will need to acquire a key and permit BEFORE leaving Thermopolis. The keys are available at the State of Wyoming Bath House, which is at Hot Spring State Park inbetween Star Plunge and Hellie's Teepee Spa (if this sounds confusing, don't worry, it's a small place and you won't have trouble!). There is no charge to visit to the petroglyphs. Bath House hours are Monday through Saturday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm and Sunday: 12:00 pm - 5:30 pm. A kindly state employee will give you a key, permit and map to the site after looking at your driver's license and having you fill out some information.

So, is all this hoop-jumping worth the trip?

Absolutely. It is a magical place in the middle of nowhere. Often you will be the only soul there, surrounded by a land that hasn't changed much in thousands of years. The petroglyphs at the site are amazing, some would even say life-changing. Some of the anthropomorphic figures are bizarre and appear cosmic in origin. While the meanings of these images are largely lost to time, the Native American tribes of the area (the Shoshone, for example), consider them sacred. And well they should: the oldest images (an antelope, a human figure and a life-size adult hand) are believed to be 11,000 years old! Most of the petroglyphs are thought to be around 2000-6000 years old and there are 300 or so of them for you to find! You can get right up close to them if you like to take pictures. There has been some vandalism over the years, which is heartbreaking, but I guess it's the price of public access, and the majority of the large images are intact. Make sure you walk softly and don't touch the petroglyphs. There aren't too many websites about the petroglyphs, but here is one article you might like to check out: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704644404575482342261278092.html

Before we get to the clues, one more warning: Letterboxes and rattlesnakes tend to like the same little hidey-holes. There are rattlesnakes in this area. When you locate the letterbox, consider poking around it first with a stick or even removing it with a stick to avoid trouble!

Now for the clues.

Thunderbird spreads his wings
Flying towards the rising sun
To visit Rabbit beside his large rock
Before hopping 7 steps towards Water
Pausing to listen to the wind
From beneath his own low, flat rock.

Good luck with the clues and enjoy your visit. Please be stealthy and rehide the box very well where it's supposed to be, since this is an important site - we don't want any visible plastic boxes disturbing the aura, do we?

Before you set out, please read the
waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.
Please be sure to reseal baggies and boxes carefully so that they stay dry
and rehide boxes in their original location, completely hidden from view.